The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-04-27
The Commission and the Railroads.

During the past week the interstate
railroad commission has listened to
statements of Boston men representing
railroad, steamboat and export inter-
ests and to western railroads and the
sugar interest. Many petitions from
railroads and industrial interests have
been received asking for relief from the
long-haul section of the law, while some
circumstances against the suspension
of the law have been sent in. Each
day largely increases the business and
burdens of the commission, and thus
far it has taken no action that affords
equitable relief to the business COM
munity.
In reply to numerous appeals of rail-
road employees and commercial travellers
regarding the Interpretation of the law,
the commissioners say they have power
to act on applications of common car
riers in only one class of cases-those
in which relief from the long and short
haul section of the law is asked for-and
have jurisdiction in cases where ag-
grieved parties may appeal to them,
but they do not find it their business to
give opinions on questions submitted to
them as to what should be done under
the general provisions of the law. They
90 somewhat out of their way to criti-
else the railroads, which by implication,
are charged with refusing to accept
responsibilities, declining to offer rates,
neglecting to announce conditions of
traffic, embarrassing the customary in
terchange of business and imposing
stagnation on trade. AS a matter of
fact, this sweeping arraignment of the
railroads is not justified by circum-
stances. BradStreet'S, one of the lead
ing mercantile publications of the
country, which is probably as good au-
thority as the commission on subjects
relating to trade and transportation,
declares that the railroads have thus
far found it impossible to adapt their
business in all respects to the new con-
ditions imposed by the law. They are
obliged to arrange many new special
rates for special articles in order to pre-
vent ruinous discrimination against
special industries through long and
short-haul rates favoring similar in
dustries elsewhere; that minor shipping
points are yet, in many cases, without a
rate from the centers of distribution,
owing to the inability of the railways
thus far to arrange through schedules
of rates on mutually satisfactory
basis; and that the leading traffic
officials are as hard at work to-day as at
any previous time to meet the demands
of clamorous shippers and to prevent
what has been regarded as the regular
business of the companies from seeking
other lines or water routes. r. G. Dun
& Co.'s weekly trade circular also says
" Many think, as the commission does,
that the railroads have made the law
an excuse for unnecessary advances in
rates, but the broad fact remains that a
great part of the business of the coun-
try has been built up under system of
special rates to encourage especial To-
calities or trades. The chief intent OF
the act is to prohibit such special favors.
An inevitable result is that the in.
dustries and business of great mum
Der of places are disturbed" The
Tribune makes this pertinent comment
Considering that the commission refuse,
to make any Interpretation of the act, will
ats general clauses and its modifying ant
enlarging words and phrases" by which tn,
companies might be guided, there is some
thing approaching indecency in beratinl
the companies because the construction o
the act adopted by their legal advisers doe
not happen to be the unknown construction
which the commission has adopted bu
does not venture to make public. Fairness
requires that the commission should recog
nize that the difficulties of Interpretation
with which it refuses to cope, may easil
embarrass and perplex even the most will
ing railroad managers.
There can be little doubt that tn
t commission violated the law in tn
: outset in suspending the long-hau
| section for the benefit of twenty
seven southern railroad companies. A
: pointed out at the time by the Wash
t ington National Republican, the law doe
: not give the commission power to SUI
A pend the long-haul clause Except qfte
4 Investigation. But the commission mad